Figure toy.



WITNESSES w. J.- HERBST.

FIGURE TOY.

Patented Aug. 22, 1911.

3 MUETE-RRBET 1 I s .m F y E r n 1/1,; I g

W. J. HERBST.

FIGURE TOY. APPLICATION FILED KAY 29, 1511.

Patented Aug. 22, 1911.

' WITNESSES 91/30 the orchestra players.

WILLIAM J. HERBST, OF NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA.

FIGURE TOY.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug; 22, 1911.

Application filed May 29, 1911. Serial No. 630,051.

T 0 all whom it may concern: I

Be it known that I, VVILLiAn J. Hnnns'r, citizen of the United States,residing at New Orleans, in the parish oi. Orleans and State ofLouisiana, have invented new and useful Improvements in Figure Toys, ofwhich the following is a specification.

-My,present invention relates to figure toys; and it has for its generalobject to provide a toy constituting -a miniature theater and comprisingfigures and means for actuating the figures, whereby one of the figuresis made to simulate dancer in action on the stage andthe others themembers of a playing orchestra.

Other objects and advantageous features of the invention will be fullyunderstood from the following description and claims when the same areread in connection with the drawings, accompanying and forming part ofthis specification, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective of my novel toy as the same appears from thepoint of view of a person in the audience. Fig. 2 is a detail elevationillustrating a part of the toy as viewed from the back thereof. Fig. 3is a detail view illustrative of the construction of the dancing figureand the means for imparting motion thereto. Fig. 4 is a. detail Viewillustrating the manner in which the longitudinally-movable bars showncom plete in Fig. 2 are connected with the movable members of thefigures that simulate Fig. 5 is a detail horizontal section illustratingthe spring motor in plan and also illustrating the manner in which. saidspring motor is connected with the before-mentionedlongitudinallymovable bars; said section being taken in the line 5-5 ofFig. 2. Fig. 6 a detail view illustrative of the manner in which thetappet comprised in the spring motor is arranged relative to thevibratory bar on which is mounted the platform for imparting motion tothe dancing figurei Fig. 7 is a detail view of a part of the motor,hereinafter specifically referred to. Fig. 8 is a detail of the springmotor.

Similar letters of reference designate corresponding parts in all of theviews of the drawings.

By comparison of the figures, it will be understood that A isa stage inwhich is a vertically disposed opening a. The said stage may be providedwith'suitable scenery (not shown), and with representations of downwardfrom the stage A, I prefer to place a picture showing orchestra chairs,occupied or unoccupied, and the members of an orchestra; all but one ofthe latter figures respectively comprising a swingin arm O, pivoted at cand having on the sald arm a pin (Z that extends rearward through a slot0 in the wall for a purpose hereinafter-set forth. It will also be notedthat the picture of one member of the orchestra comprises instead of aswinging arm, a slide piece G which slide piece is made to simulate atron1- bone slide and is provided with a rearwardly extending pin 7,disposed in a slot 9 in wall 7 B. The pins 65 on the upper of theswinging arms C are connected to the upper longitudinally-movable bar D,while the pins of the lower arms C, as well as the pin f of the slidepiece C are connected to the lower longitudinally-movable bar E. "Avertically swinging lever F, Fig. 2, is fulcrumed at h on the back ofthe wall B, and

the upper arm of said lever is connected to the .upper bar D, while thelower arm thereof is connected to the lower bar E. Hence when the leveris rocked by means hereinafter described, the bars D and E will bereciprocated and the arms C will be swung to and fro andatthe same timethe slide piece C will .be reciprocated, with the result that thepictures representing an orchestra will appear in action; the conductorwielding his baton, the violinists their hows, the drummers theirsticks, and the trombone player the slide of his instrument. Y

The dancing figure comprises a body G on which is a head, arms andskirt, and to the lower portion of the said body G- are loosely hingedthe upper sections H of legs which also comprise lower sections Iloosely hinged to the said sections II. The body G of the dancing figureis suspended through a cable J from the top of the stage in such manneras to enable the feet of the figure to rest lightly on a platform Kdisposed in the before-mentioned opening a in the stage stage A is avibratory bar L, preferably of metal, which bar is connected at its freeend to the underside of the plat-form K. It will also be noted byreference to the drawp A. Connected at k to the underside of the it willbe understood that when the bar I is vibrated or rapidly actuated up anddown, the platform K will be moved with the bar L and will cause thedancing figure to dance,

1 .jump, and turn around after t e manner of a ballet performer. v

P, Figs. 5 and 6, is a crank connected through a rod Q to the lower-,endof the lever F, and R is a swinging tappet. pivoted at m ona'suitable support and backed. by a spring a, and having a head parranged to act against the-pad N on the vibratory bar'L with a view tovibratingor rapidly moving said bar up and down. Any suitable means maybe employed for rapidly rotating the crank P and moving the tappet Ragainst the action of the spring a without involving departure from thescope of my invention as claimed. I prefer, however, to employ for thepurpose of rotating the crank P and actuating tappet 'R, the springmotor illustrated. The said spring motor in addition to a suitable frameS,

' spring S, the shaft- X will be rapidly comprises a shaft '1 bearing aratchet disk 1', a spring T connected at one end to the frame S, andwoundabout the shaft- T and connected at its opposite "end thereto, a

spur gear U loosely mounted on the shaft T and having a pawl u inengagement with the ratchet disk '1', a second shaft V-bearing a pinion'u intermeshed with the spur gear U and also bearing a spur gear W, anda third shaft X hav ng a pinion and also having a spur gear 1' for apurpose hereinafter set forth. The said shaft carries the crank l andalso carries oppositelydirected arms Z for striking the tappet ltandmoving the same against the action of the spring a. liy reason of theconstruction described it will be manifest that when the shaft T isrotated by the expansion of the 1'0- tated to rotate the crank l andactuate the tappet R in the manner and for the pur-- poses beforedescribed.

The spur gear Y on the third shaft X of the spring motor is intermeshedwith a pinion a on a shaft a, and on the said shaft a is also lixed adisk a. This disk a is normally engaged and held against rotation by aspring strip a fixedly connected tooneside plateof the motor frame S. Ascrew q, bears in the said frame plate and is adapted at its inner endto engage the said spring strip a. I Fromthis it follows that when thespring '1 is contracted or swinging tappet It will be actuated by theexpanding of the spring T While when the screw (1 is moved outward topermit the spring strip a to bear strongly against the disk a, the motorwill be stopped as will also the movement of the crank P and the tappetR. It will also be understood that through the medium of the screw a andthe spring strip a the operation of the motor can be regulated, it beingsimply necessary when it is desired to operate the crank 1 and tappet itslowly, to move the screw (0 outward so as to permit the spring strip ato bear-against the disk 04* to a. greater or less extent after themanner of a brake shoe. ,7

it will be gathered from the foregoing that my novel toy is reliable inoperation, and is calculated to aiford considerable amusement tochildren. I 1

While 1 have entered into a detailed descriplion of the construction andrelative arrangement of the parts comprised in the' changes ormodifications may be made as do not involve departure from the scope ofmy invention as defined in the claims appended.

llaving described my invention, what .I claim and desire to secure byLetters-Patent, is: v

.l. in a figure toy, the combination of a stage having avertically-disposed opening, a support disposed above the stage, ajointed figure loosely suspended from said support, a vertically-movableplatfornrdisposed in said opening of the stage and adapted to actuatethe jointed figure, a

vibratory bar fixed at one end to the underside of the stage andcarrying on its free portion the platfornna s\\'ingiug tappet sup portedbelow and adapted to strike against the underside of the bar to vibratethe same, a wall depending from the front of the stage and having slots;said wall hearing on its face simulations of orchestra players, movablepieces forming parts-of the simulations and having pins extendinrearward through the slots in the wal longitudinally-movable barsdisposed back of the wall \and connected to said pins, a lever fulerumedat an intermediate pointof its length and having its arms connected ,tosaid bars, and means for actuating said ta-ppet and lever.

2.111 a figure toy,- the combination of a wall havilig slots and bearingon its face simulations of fight-vs, movable pieces forming parts of thesimulations and having pins extending rearward through the slots Intestimony whereof I have hereuntn 1n 'the wall, longitudinally-movablebars set my hand in presence of two subscribing disposed back of thewell and connected to witnesses.

said pins, a lever fulcrumed at an inter WILLIAM J. HERBST.

- mediate point of its length and having its Witnesses:

arms connected to said bars, and means for EARL A. DAmuNs, actuatmg saidlever. ANATOLE Pmcon.

